Harkless’ turnaround was so dramatic that coach Jacque Vaughn and several Magic teammates pointed out the differences in the small forward’s aggressiveness. Harkless said he knew that even though the season was just two games old heading into Friday that he had to step up and do something to prove that he is a more mature player and a better one following a summer of work.

``The first two games didn’t go how I wanted them to go – individually or for our team. I just had it in my mind to bounce back and not let it affect me in this game,’’ Harkless said. ``Last year I probably would have still been thinking about (Wednesday’s) game. Now, I’ve been through it for a year and now I see how quickly the games come and how short of a memory that you have to have.’’

It might help Harkless to forget about Friday’s success considering the task he has ahead when the Magic (1-2) host the revamped Brooklyn Nets (1-1) Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Amway Center. At various times in the game, Harkless will be matched up against small forward Paul Pierce or Joe Johnson. The Nets went on a massive spending spree in the offseason, trading for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry and hiring Jason Kidd as coach to give themselves a squad full of all-stars.